Mason Jar Chandelier ~ DIY Friday

I don't know if you know but I have a bit of a fascination with Mason Jars.  I have absolutely no idea where I got it from either.  But I do know that I truly enjoy decorating with them.  My latest project started from one of my very first Pin's on Pinterest.  Seriously, like I think it was my third Pin.  And I finally made it:  a Mason Jar Chandelier.  Hooray for me!  Come see how I did it and how easy it really is!  

This picture was my inspiration and it still is one of my favorite Pin's on my Pallet & Mason Board.  A simple yet rustic piece of wood with holes cut into it and Mason Jars used as candle holders for a make shift chandelier if you will.  Simply beautiful.  But being there was not a tutorial attached to this picture I utilized the help of my SuperHubbie yet again.  Hooray for him!  

tumbler source 

First things first, find a rustic piece of wood.  I stole scavenged a really neat piece from my Hubbie's wood pile that he makes his projects with.  You can see some of his work here.  I grabbed some jars from my jar pile and used them as a template for the holes to be cut in.  I borrowed a compass from my kiddo's too!  Hooray for school supplies! 

My board was long enough for 5 Mason Jars so I spaced them where I liked them and traced the mouth with the compass.  My Hubbie laughed at me and asked why I didn't just use a pencil to trace around the jar.  And here I thought I was clever stealing scavenging a compass from my kiddo's.  While I went to put on my SuperMom cape to avoid any further dumb-blonde moments my Hubbie used a Jig Saw to cut the holes with.  Awesome.  I know some of you ladies are handy with power tools but I'm not quiet there yet.  My Hubbie is like Batman and I'm his Robin.  I'll get there...one day!  When I wasn't looking Batman SuperHubbie even routered the holes for me. 

Now although I loved the look of the board with one edge slightly curved and the bark still exposed, the rest was too 'new' looking for me.  It was not as old and weathered like I was looking for.  So I aged my new wood to make it look old!  Check out this simple staining technique using vinegar and steel wool here. 

Aging New Wood

Now that my board had the look I was after it was time to attach the Mason Jars.  Originally I thought the mouth of the jar would stick up through the board and all I had to do was screw the lid on to hold it in place.  But my super smart Hubbie once again pointed out my flawed thinking.  The board would have to be extremely thin for that to work.  So I snooped around his shop until I found a product that's kind of like the stronger big boy cousin to Duct Tape. Dap Beats The Nail Construction Adhesive.

This stuff is pretty messy so resist the urge to put too much on and use your fingers to take it off.  It's not fun removing it from your hands, I speak from experience.  Have a rag handy.

Once I got all 5 holes circled with the adhesive I attached the jars.  You can see where the adhesive squished up on  top of the board.  Knowing I would be hanging this I wasn't too concerned with the mess it was making but do have a wet rag handy to wipe off the excess and keep your precious Mason Jars clean.

Knowing the exposed edge on my board would be the front I turned all the jars to face the same side as that edge.  Try and ignore the yucky mess the adhesive made to the top of the board.  I just kept reminding myself that it would not show...but I'll know it's there!  Ugh!  My Hubbie kept reminding me I could have waited for him to come back so he could help.  But I was tired of being Robin so I did it myself.  Should of waited for my Batman.

I left the jars to dry for about 24 hours before I moved onto the next step:  Hanging the chandelier.  I decided to use chain and attached it to the board by nailing four U-shaped nails into the corners.  I think the nails are used for fencing but I'm not sure.  They were another stolen scavenged part!

Instead of hanging four lengths of chain (similar to how the inspiration picture used four lengths of rope) I decided to meet them up together so the chandelier only hung from two lengths of chain.  Like this:

The last step before my obsession was complete was to turn the Mason Jars into candles.  I picked up a couple bags of decorative sand and some colorful candles.  I filled my jars about 1/3 of the way with a mixture of fine and coarse sand then gently pushed the 2 inch round candles down into the sand.  A few clicks of the lighter and I was done!

OH. MY. MASON JAR.  My chandelier was finally complete!  It's rustic and whimsical, and a statement piece that I think would look great anywhere.  Indoors or outdoors.  On a front porch or outside hanging over a dining table.  

I used white sand but river rocks would look gorgeous also.  Beach glass would be great for the summer and allow more light to shine through the bottom of the jars.  Even simple white candles, perhaps in different thicknesses and heights would look beautiful too!

Maybe you're not a big candle person.  How about making this same project but instead of using Mason Jars as candle holders you turn them into beautiful succulent terrariums!

Stunning Succulents tutorial

Or do you love the thought of outdoor lighting but don't want the hassle of candles?  Instead of adding the sand and candles to your jar top it off with a solar light for a solar lantern chandelier!

Solar Lantern tutorial

Are you as big of a Mason Jar fan as I am?  What do you think of this project?  What would you do different?  =)